Impulsive Acts
by Moonlit2dreams
Summary: Five years after the final battle and everyone's moved on...except Hermione. Now an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries she is suddenly plagued by strange dreams and an unknown voice. On an impulsive whim she is thrust into the past, her mission: to save Severus Snape's life. HG/SS. My shot at the time travel fic. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- Sadly, I don't own the characters! Those wonderful works of art are the property of J.K. Rowling. The only profit I receive is the feeling that for a few moments I am a part of their magical world. **

**Summary: Five years after the final battle and everyone's moved on...except Hermione. Now an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries she is suddenly plagued by strange dreams and an unknown voice. On an impulsive whim she is thrust into the past, her mission: to save Severus Snape's life. H****G/SS. My shot at the time travel fic. **

**Warnings: AU, Lemons in future chapters, strong language and adult situations. **

**Chapter 1-**

Hermione carefully adjusted her Unspeakable robes before stepping out of the floo and onto the ministry floor. She pulled her hood down further over her face ensuring her identity was completely protected.

Anonymity, one of the reasons she had finally accepted a position within the department of Mysteries. After the war, their lives became public domain. They were called heroes and champions of the light. Their adventures were turned into almost mythic stories. Reporters hounded their every move and everyone clamored for their attention and favor. Harry, as expected, hated this above all.

He retreated into Grimmauld Place and for a few weeks after the war, he refused to see anyone. In the end it was Ginny who forced her way into his home and set him right. Hermione smiled at the memory of her redheaded friend literally dragging Harry from his melancholic home and out into the sunlight.

Hermione was almost sure that, that had been the moment Harry had fully fallen in love with Ginny. They had dated for a few short weeks and then, as quietly as they could, were married in a private ceremony with only their friends and family in attendance. It was hard to believe that had been just over five years ago.

She and Ron had also tried to find happiness, at first with each other but as it became painfully obvious that their feelings for each other had slowly cooled, they decided to remain friends. So, Ron had joined the Auror Academy along with Harry and they were now fully qualified Aurors. Two years after he graduated from the academy, Ron had begun dating Hannah Abbott who he later married.

Hermione was so happy for her friends they had each created a new family for themselves. Harry with his wife and two children and Ron with his wife and young son.

She knew they worried about her. Despite her continued reassurance that she was happy with her lot in life, she knew they pitied her. After the war, with her relationship with Ron failing she had begun her search for her parents. After weeks of tracking them she had finally found them in a small town in Australia. She had been overjoyed.

She was to be disappointed. They had not believed her story and no matter how hard she tried, she could not reverse the memory charms she had placed on them. She had sought the help of unspeakables and medi-wizards but it was all fruitless. Her memory charms had been too strong for her muggle parents. It was the reason the Ministry frowned upon witches/wizards using them on muggles without the right training.

Luckily, because of her fame she was not charged with the use of magic on a muggle. She had tearfully said her goodbyes to her bewildered parents and returned to England, a permanent hollow feeling taking root in her heart. She had returned to Hogwarts and graduated after which she had accepted a position at the Department of Mysteries.

She sighed sadly as she walked past the large memorial in the center of the Ministry's Atrium. It had been erected several years ago in honor of those who had perished during the battle of Hogwarts. Teachers, students, Order members and magical creatures stood bravely shoulder to shoulder protecting the castle behind them. Just above the center a floating plaque read _It is in unity that we claim victory_.

Every day she walked past and yet every day she came to a stop in front of the memorial. She admitted, if only to herself, that the reason she was so drawn to the memorial was Severus Snape. There was something about how his face was depicted that seemed almost sad to her.

Harry had told them everything. What Snape had done and how he had dedicated his life to protecting Harry in memory of Harry's mother. It was a sad tale. Harry had of course argued for Severus Snape's name to be added to the list of heroes which had been grudgingly agreed to by the Ministry. He had even ensured that the professor would receive an Order of Merlin, First class.

Shaking her head she forced herself to walk past the memorial. To think of what that man had sacrificed...what he had endured. She had silently cursed Dumbledore. As Harry told them everything she could not help but think that the headmaster had certainly taken advantage of the man's grief for his lost love. She had not told Harry this of course, Dumbledore was after all like a grandfather to him.

As she entered the lift she was surprised to find Harry and Ron leaning against the back of the lift away from the others in the lift. Making her way through the small crowd of people toward them she smiled as they completely ignored her presence. Her Unspeakable robes had a notice-me-not charm woven into the fabric.

She watched them for a minute, their faces animated by their conversation. She smiled fondly as they laughed and chose that moment to interrupt.

"Hello, you two." She said as she placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Mione!" Harry greeted happily.

"Blimey, Hermione! I didn't even see you approach us." Ron said as he hugged her.

Hermione laughed. "Of course you wouldn't Ron, I'm wearing my robes. How are you? Merlin, it feels like ages since I last saw you two! How are Hannah and Ginny? How are the kids?"

Harry glared at her. "You would know if you ever stopped by for Sunday dinner."

Hermione sighed. "I know, Harry. It's just...I've been rather busy."

"With what?" Ron asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head. "You know I can't talk about my work, Ron."

The redhead shrugged, a mischievous look on his face. "Thought I would try. It seems to keep you rather busy. Too busy to even answer owls."

Hermione blushed. She knew she had a large pile of mail she had yet to look through. These days she was lucky if she made it home to sleep. She knew she had been obsessing over her project but she was close to making a breakthrough that would change everything.

"Sorry about that. I promise I'll stop by this Sunday for dinner. I miss my little nephews. How are they?" She said apologetically.

She knew they had noticed she had changed the subject but the mention of their children had brought identical fond smiles to their faces. She knew if she told them what was happening to her they would worry or think she was insane. No, it was better if they didn't know. For the rest of the ride she listened to the stories of their children's achievements and tried to squash the empty feeling that filled her.

As the lift arrived at the department of Magical Law Enforcement she made sure to hug them tightly. They were the only family she had left and if something went wrong with her experiment today, she would at least know she had hugged her friends one last time.

After they were gone the empty feeling returned. Today was the day she had chosen to finally test her hypothesis. For months she had poured over the large library in the department of mysteries. She had been careful to keep her project a secret. She had completed her duties as usual during the day but the evenings she dedicated to her own project.

It had all begun with a small entry in the hall of prophecies in the time room.

_What is written in time can be unwritten. What is done can be undone. _

She had found no name to accompany it. No date or time it had been recorded. Curiously she had asked another colleague about it.

He had shrugged. "That's one of our oldest ones. Don't know who did it but they didn't include any information. Most of us just gave up on it. Doesn't sound too urgent."

Hermione had been left with questions as she mulled over the words in her mind. As she finished the projects she was assigned the words haunted her.

Almost a year after she had first read the words she had a dream.

_She was standing in a large empty darkened room. Suddenly the room was bathed in a soft glow. She recognized the death chamber in the department of Mysteries. _

_The archway in the center of the room called to her and before she knew what she was doing she was walking toward it. As she neared it she could feel a strong pull of magic coming from the large archway. She watched as the black veil fluttered and suddenly a soft voice whispered to her. _

"_What is written in time can be unwritten. What is done can be undone."_

"_Who are you?" She asked. _

_Suddenly there was a great gust of wind. It blew the dark veil aside and revealed a familiar scene to her. It was the inside of the Shrieking Shack. She watched as Voldemort stood before professor Snape and commanded the snake to strike him. As Snape fell, she watched as Harry, Ron and herself approached the dying body of their ex-professor. _

"_What is written in time can be unwritten. What is done can be undone." The unknown voice whispered again. _

"_What do you want?" Hermione asked. _

"_What is written in time can be unwritten. What is done can be undone." It responded. _

_Suddenly she was propelled forward into the archway by unseen hands. Alarmed, she tried to back away but instead landed in a heap near the dead body of her professor. _

"_What is written in time can be unwritten. What is done can be undone." The voice whispered. _

_She watched as professor Snape's neck wound slowly healed until it was gone. Seconds later, she was surprised to find his dark eyes on her. He looked like he was trying to tell her something when suddenly the gust of wind was back and it pushed her away until she was out of the archway. _

"_What is written in time can be unwritten. What is done can be undone." The voice whispered. _

_She was about to ask the voice what it meant when she felt herself slowly waking. _

She had spent a week trying to decipher what her dream meant. She knew the veil was rumored to be a connection between the world of the living and the dead. Could they have gotten that wrong? Did the archway have something to do with time?

From her research she learned that the archway had been there as long as the Ministry. There were records of wizards and witches attempting to uncover what was beyond the veil but none had returned. It had been quickly deemed too dangerous and against the law to tamper with. There was no record of who or what created it or how it came to be.

She read and reread every book she could get her hands on in the library. It left her with more questions than answers. As she investigated, the dream returned frequently, always the same and always with the same end. One thing was certain, it had something to do with professor Snape.

He was the central figure in every dream. The voice was urging her to change something and she was almost certain that it wanted her to save the professor. How, she did not know but it was clear that the dreams would not stop until she did something about it.

It was illegal to tamper with time. After all the time turners had been destroyed during the battle in the department of mysteries in her fifth year the Ministry had decided to ban all time turners. There were no longer any left and all of the information pertaining to them had been secretly destroyed.

This left her with one option. The archway...the veil..

It was the key. It had been the latest dream that had urged to to make a decision to finally test her theory.

Could the veil lead not into the world of the dead but serve as a door between time?

Hermione walked silently through the darkened hallway that led to the department of mysteries. Its large marbled doors looming over her. As she entered the department she hurried toward the Death chamber. It was usually empty as they primarily focused on the other rooms.

After closing and securing the door she turned to the familiar archway she had seen so frequently in her dreams. She walked toward it and stopped a few feet in front of it's veil.

Nothing. There were no whispers.

She stood silently contemplating everything she had read and everything she had dreamt. Hermione didn't know how long she stood there but suddenly she felt faint. She unknowingly placed a hand on the stone of the archway and felt magic slowly fill her.

The veil fluttered and Hermione tried to remove her hand but found that it was being held there by an invisible force. She could feel magic slowly spread from her arm toward the rest of her body. Suddenly as if in a dream, her surroundings vanished and she found herself in the Shrieking Shack.

She watched as the life slowly left her professor's face. She could feel tears falling from her eyes but she could not move.

"_Save him"_ The voice whispered in her ear.

Before she could respond she was pushed out of the scene and once again she found herself in front of the archway. She quickly removed her hand and stared at the veil before her. After a few seconds she took a deep breath, grabbed her wand and before she could change her mind moved forward beyond the veil.

/

**Author's Note:**

**It's been a while since I've written so Please Review! Thank you all for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- Sadly, I don't own the characters! Those wonderful works of art are the property of J.K. Rowling. The only profit I receive is the feeling that for a few moments I am a part of their magical world. **

**Summary: Five years after the final battle and everyone's moved on...except Hermione. Now an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries she is suddenly plagued by strange dreams and an unknown voice. On an impulsive whim she is thrust into the past, her mission: to save Severus Snape's life. H****G/SS. My shot at the time travel fic. AU. **

**Warnings: AU, Lemons in future chapters, strong language and adult situations. **

**Chapter 2-**

Severus Snape glared angrily at the students in front of him. It seemed Ms. Weasley and Mr. Longbottom had once again managed to anger the idiotic Carrows. He sighed and contemplated the best course of action. He knew the Carrows were itching for him to make a mistake and he would be damned if it happened because of a pair of idiotic Gryffindors.

"Ms. Weasley and Mr. Longbottom, you will be serving detention with me in the dungeons for the next month." He glared at both students when it seemed they would argue with him.

"Don't worry about it, Snape. We can handle this pair." Alecto Carrow replied snidely.

Severus ignored her comment. "Go!" He whispered harshly to his students.

With a last parting glare at the three adults the students departed and Snape hoped they would listen for once and return to their dorms.

"We could have handled that, Snape! One night in the dungeons with us would have set them right!" Amycus said venomously.

Snape glared snidely. "And what would you tell the Dark Lord when he would ask why two pureblood students were harmed?"

"Their muggle lovers, they deserve it." Alecto responded.

Snape nodded. "Yes, but if you want to take the chance of displeasing our lord then by all means go ahead."

The Carrows glared angrily at Severus and he knew he'd won. There was no way they would risk the Dark Lord's displeasure just to torture a couple of students.

Smirking, Severus watched as they left angrily. They were done for the night. They would no doubt complain once again to the Dark Lord.

He sighed tiredly and walked through the darkened halls toward the headmaster's office. Entering, he walked toward his desk and glared angrily at the sleeping portrait of Albus Dumbledore.

"You can stop feigning sleep, Albus. I know you're awake." Severus whispered.

"Are they safe, Severus?" The portrait of Albus Dumbledore asked.

Severus rolled his eyes as he poured himself a drink. "Yes, your precious Gryffindor students are safely tucked into their beds. Although at the rate Ms. Weasley and Longbottom are going I might not be able to protect them from the Carrows for much longer."

"You must try, Severus."

Sitting down, he examined the room around him. He had kept the room almost exactly as Dumbledore had left it. It seemed morbid but it also felt wrong to change anything. He also didn't occupy the headmaster's rooms after all he wasn't sleeping much.

He looked at the portraits that littered the room each feigning sleep but he was sure they were listening intently to the conversation.

Phineas Nigellus's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Headmaster Snape!"

"What is it Phineas?" Severus asked.

"Someone has disturbed the wards at the edge of the forest." Phineas responded.

Shaking his head tiredly, Severus stood and placed his drink on his desk. "Is it too much to ask for a few minutes of peace and quiet?" He whispered.

As he took his leave he heard Albus's portrait call out. "Be careful, Severus."

Whoever decided to disturb the wards at this ungodly hour was in for a shock. He was not in a very good mood. They would pay for disturbing his few precious hours of relative peace.

It was dark and windy. He stopped close to the edge of the forest, listening intently for any sign of the intruder. He clutched his wand tightly when he saw something move in the dark forest.

He hid behind a large tree and watched for any more movement. After a few seconds he once again saw movement. This time he snuck carefully deeper into the forest until he was directly behind whoever had disturbed the wards.

They were wearing a cloak and from the rather fuzzy outline surrounding it, it was cloaked in a notice-me-not charm. He was grateful that Hogwarts allowed him to see beyond such cloaking spells and charms. Sometimes being the headmaster came in handy. Now he understood why Albus always seemed to know everyone's secrets.

He watched silently as the cloaked figure seemed to be examining their surroundings. Whoever this was, it was most certainly not a student. He walked quietly toward the stranger until he had his wand pressed tightly to the person's back.

"Move and you die." He whispered dangerously.

/

"Move and you die."

Hermione cursed her rotten luck. She must have disturbed the school's wards when she appeared. She had her wand in her hand but the wand pressed to her back assured her that it would be a mistake to attempt anything.

Her theory had obviously been correct. Wherever or whenever she was, she was definitely at Hogwarts. She even recognized the voice that had just whispered angrily to her. It was Snape.

She could still be in the afterlife but she seriously doubted that. The wand at her back felt too real. So the question was, where had the archway placed her in?

"Professor Snape?" She whispered as she carefully kept her hand in plain sight. She knew Snape was a powerful wizard and she didn't want to provoke the man into cursing her.

She could feel the wand press tighter into her back. "Who are you?" He whispered.

What should she tell him? Should she tell him the whole incredible story, that she had idiotically decided to test an unknown ancient magical artifact by throwing herself into it? She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Professor, it's me Hermione Granger." She whispered. She decided to go with a half-truth. She knew he would not believe her unless she told him exactly who she was.

As soon as those words were out of her mouth she felt strong hands grab her and pin her to the nearest tree. The wand that had, until recently, been pressed to her back was now pressed to her neck close to her pulse point.

He glared menacingly down at her. It had been so long since she had seen him that she had forgotten how intimidating he could be. She squared her shoulders and looked up at him defiantly. She would not show him fear.

"What did you say?" He asked angrily.

"I'm Hermione Granger." She repeated. She was careful to avoid his eyes. She knew he was an accomplished Legilimens. She was a decent Occlumens but she still didn't want to tempt fate.

She could feel his grip on her arm tighten. "Impossible! Who are you really?"

She sighed. "What year is this?"

He watched her carefully as his wand pressed more deeply into her throat. "What do you want? Who are you and why are you trespassing?"

"Look, professor, I will be more than happy to answer your questions but first I need to know what year this is?" She responded quietly.

"October 1997" He replied.

She was flabbergasted. She had gone back further than she had thought. She stared at the man before her incredulously.

"1997?" She asked.

"Yes, now tell me who you are and what you are doing here?" He snarled dangerously.

What was she to do. She had landed right square in the middle of the war. If she was correct at this very moment she was on the run with Harry and Ron, searching for the Horcruxes.

She closed her eyes to try and calm the panic that filled her. It didn't work. She opened her eyes and stared at the man who watched her carefully.

There was only one way she knew he would believe her.

"We need somewhere more private. What I have to tell you is not something I would like to be overheard." She hoped he would believe her.

He hesitated but roughly pushed her in front of him, his wand now pressing into her side. "I want your wand."

She bit her lip nervously but after only a few moments of hesitation handed her wand over to her captor. He pocketed it and pushed her forward.

"We will go to the Headmaster's office. Should we find anyone along the way, you are to remain silent. Is that clear?" He said dangerously.

She nodded and slowly walked in front of him. The entire trip must have taken only a few minutes but to Hermione it felt more like an eternity. She silently contemplated what she should reveal and what she should keep to herself. She had learned from her experience with time turners that one did not mess with time….too late to adhere to that rule now.

What was clear was that her purpose for being here was to save the man silently walking behind her. Changing anything else would be dangerous.

They entered the Headmaster's office, Snape's office and she was surprised to find that it remained much the same as it did when Professor Dumbledore occupied it.

He guided her toward a vacant chair in front of his desk and pushed her into it roughly. He really was rather abrasive.

"Talk!" He said as he took his seat behind the large desk at the center of the room. He purposely placed her hand in front of him.

His eyes were on her the entire time.

"I see you're an unspeakable." He said carefully.

Hermione looked down at her robes and slowly removed her hood. A look of surprise momentarily appeared on his face before it once again turned neutral.

"My name is Hermione Granger." She held up her hand before he could interrupt her. "Before you argue with me over my identity allow me to prove it."

His eyes narrowed but he allowed her to continue.

"Last june, you asked Luna and I to watch over Professor Flitwick, who you had stunned." She allowed her comment to sink in. She hoped that would be enough to prove who she was but seriously doubted it. The man was a Slytherin after all.

"Who told you that?" He asked angrily, his fist slamming the top of the desk.

She shook her head. "No one professor. I am Hermione Granger. I was there." She sighed. "I know I look older but that's because I'm from the year 2003. I've traveled from the future."

"I don't believe you." He whispered harshly.

She rolled her eyes. A sudden idea crossed her mind. She was tired and they didn't seem to be getting anywhere like this so she decided to speed things along.

"Do you have any Veritaserum?"

He nodded and turned to a small cabinet behind his desk. After unstopping the small vial he poured some into a glass and pushed it across his desk toward her.

She carefully grabbed the glass and with only a moment's hesitation downed its contents. After a few seconds in which she didn't feel anything she turned to him.

"What was that?" She asked suspiciously.

He smirked. "A special potion of my creation. It would have told me if you were under the protection of the antidote to the Veritaserum. Luckily for you, you are not." With that he pushed another glass toward her, this time with the correct potion.

She glared at him but downed its contents. This time a heavy feeling overwhelmed her. She could feel the potion slowly fogging her brain.

"What is your name?" A deep voice asked as if from a distance.

Before she had time to think about her answer, she responded. "Hermione Jean Granger."

"When were you born?"

"September 19th 1979"

"How old are you?"

"Technically, I am twenty-four but because of my use of a time turner during my third year I am actually twenty-five years old."

"What is the location of the Order?"

"12 Grimmauld Place."

"How did you travel here?"

"I used a magical artifact inside the department of mysteries."

"Why are you here?"

"I was sent here to save you."

There was a silence in the room. He watched her intently. "Save me from what?" He asked quietly.

"From death." She whispered. She could feel the potion begin to fade. "Are you satisfied?"

"No but I am satisfied that you are who you claim to be." He replied carefully. "Do you know what is happening at this very moment?"

She nodded. "I know everything."

He stood up and walked around the desk until he came to stand in front of her chair. "What do you know?"

She smiled sadly. "I know you didn't want to kill Professor Dumbledore. I know he basically pleaded with you to do it. I know you've dedicated your life to protecting Harry. I know you're a spy for the Order. I know you've been keeping track of where Harry, Ron and I are at the moment even though we're on the run. I even know the reason why you've done this...all of this."

Hermione could tell her answer had taken him by surprise.

"How is it possible?" He whispered.

"After the war, everything comes to light." She responded simply.

"After the war…?" He repeated as if the words were foreign to him.

She nodded but remained quiet. It was the voice of Professor Dumbledore that broke the tense silence in the room.

"So all was not for nothing. We win?" He asked.

Hermione hesitated but nodded. "At great cost but we win. I can not reveal much else."

Professor Dumbledore's portrait nodded understandingly. "How long until you return?"

She cringed. She had still to figure out how she was supposed to return to her time. If she remembered, Voldemort controlled the Ministry at this time and it was not as if she could just walk in there and hope to not be noticed. Merlin forbid she ran into her younger self. Even if she were able to enter and walk through the archway there was no guarantee that she would be transported back to her time. What had she been thinking?

"I seem to be stuck here for the moment." She responded simply.

"You will need to stay here." Dumbledore responded.

"What do you mean, Albus?" Snape asked quietly.

"She can't very well go out into the world when her younger self is on the run and there's a bounty on her head. No, the only place safe enough for her is here at Hogwarts. Besides, this is an opportunity we can not waste."

"What do you mean, professor." Hermione asked carefully.

The twinkle that the older man had had in life was shining brightly even in death. The portrait smiled.

"Ms. Granger can help you keep the peace. She knows your true role in this war Severus. She can help you fulfill your duty."

Hermione watched the portrait with a mixture of disgust and surprise. Even in death, the headmaster treated Professor Snape as nothing more than a means to an end. She could feel her head begin to ache but she forced herself to remain focused. If she was stuck here then she would at least make herself useful. Besides, the only reason why she was here was to save Snape and what better way to help achieve that than to provide support for him.

"I don't need her help." He responded angrily.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Of course you do, Severus. You can not be everywhere at once and the way things are going within the castle the students will need as much protection as they can get. Don't forget your promise to me, Severus."

Hermione glared at the portrait of the man she had admired as a girl. Was he really that manipulative?

"You don't need to manipulate him, professor." She responded quietly. "I will be helping in any way I can whether he agrees to it or not." She turned to professor Snape a determined look on her face. "Whether you want to work with me or not, I am the only person that can help. I can tell you that everything in the next couple of months will only get worse before it gets better so either work with me or hope that your idiotic pride will help you in the next coming months."

His glare was venomous. She was exhausted and really only wanted to crawl into a bed and sleep.

"Fine!" The dark man said angrily.

"Excellent! Ms. Granger, I can see you are too exhausted and Severus I know you have yet to sleep so why don't you two get some rest. We can discuss this further in the morning." The portrait of Professor Dumbledore said cheerfully.

Hermione glared at the man but nodded. "Where am I to stay?"

"I can't have you traipsing around the school grounds with the Carrows roaming around." Snape responded. "Dobby!" A few seconds later, Dobby appeared.

"Headmaster, called?" Dobby responded excitedly.

Hermione could feel her heart ache at the appearance of the little elf.

"Ms. Granger will be staying in the Headmaster's rooms. No one is to know that she is here. Do you understand Dobby?" Snape ordered.

Dobby's eyes had widened at the mention of her name but quietly nodded. "Dobby understands, sir. Dobby is keeping Harry Potter's friend a secret."

"Good, now take her with you." Snape replied.

Dobby nodded and happily grasped her hand and led her to a door that appeared behind the headmaster's desk. With a final look at the wizard she had come to save and the portrait of Albus Dumbledore she disappeared into the next room.

/

Severus could feel the ache in his temples grow from a dull ache to a full blown migraine. He stiffly turned to Albus Dumbledore's portrait.

"I don't know what you're playing at Albus but I want you to know that I see right through you." He said darkly.

"What do you mean, Severus?"

"I mean that you can't expect me to believe that there's not a place more suitable for the girl out there than here."

The portrait remained silent.

"Whatever it is you're planning must stop, Albus. Is my life not complicated enough than to add another duty? Must I really play guardian to the girl?"

Again the portrait remained silent.

"Fine! Don't respond!" Snape said angrily. He quickly conjured a curtain for the portrait and made sure to place a silencing spell on it. Even from the grave the man knew how to provoke him.

He reclaimed his chair behind his desk and poured himself a liberal amount of the firewhiskey he kept in his desk. There was too much to think about. He would not be getting any sleep tonight.

/

**Author's Note: **

**Please Review! Let me know what you think! Thank you for Reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer- Sadly, I don't own the characters! Those wonderful works of art are the property of J.K. Rowling. The only profit I receive is the feeling that for a few moments I am a part of their magical world.**

**Summary: Five years after the final battle and everyone's moved on...except Hermione. Now an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries she is suddenly plagued by strange dreams and an unknown voice. On an impulsive whim she is thrust into the past, her mission: to save Severus Snape's life. HG/SS. My shot at the time travel fic. AU.**

**Warnings: AU, Lemons in future chapters, strong language and adult situations.**

**Chapter 3- **

Severus stared at the woman in front of him. He knew his stare was making her uncomfortable but he didn't care. In fact, he got a perverse sense of satisfaction as she shifted nervously in her seat.

It seemed she had also had trouble sleeping, if the bags under her eyes were anything to go by. He had contemplated their situation and felt he had come up with a rather ingenious solution.

She nervously touched the end of her long french braid. He smirked and finally decided to speak.

"I think I have a solution to our current situation. As much as I would like to be rid of you, at the moment that is not possible. The Dark Lord would turn the whole of wizarding England on it's head if he knew you were here."

She nodded but he could see anger in her honey colored eyes. "What do you suggest?" She said tightly.

"You will join the staff as my secretary." He responded with a smirk on his face.

Granger's eyes narrowed angrily but she seemed to reign herself in. Ever the brave Gryffindor, he thought.

"You will of course use glamour spells to change your appearance. I will have to explain that you were a former student, pureblood of course, who has been living abroad." He placed a paper in front of her. "This is your new identity. I doubt the Carrows will much care to investigate as long as you show them a sense of loyalty to the Dark Lord."

She looked at the file in front of her and then quietly asked. "Isobel MacDougal. Won't it be rather odd for you to appoint someone out of the blue as your secretary?"

He sighed. "They won't question it. The MacDougal's are a pureblood family. We will explain that you are a distant relation who was born here but mostly lived abroad." He refrained from explaining that they would more than likely assume that she was his mistress but this situation was already distasteful enough and he didn't want to have to explain that to his student.

"The MacDougal's have always remained neutral and have many foreign distant relatives so no one will question the appearance of a relative here." He took his wand and silently cast strong glamour spells on her. Granger's brown hair turned midnight black and her eyes turned ice blue. "It is said that the MacDougal's are distant relatives of the Ravenclaw family but then again it may just be rumors. Make sure you remember to refresh the spells every morning."

He watched as she conjured a mirror and examined her new appearance. Rolling his eyes at her feminine vanity he stood and walked toward Phineas Nigellus' portrait.

"Phineas, are the Carrows in the Great Hall?"

The former headmaster nodded. "Most of the staff and students are already assembled for breakfast."

Severus nodded and turned to the witch behind him. She had stood and was silently transfiguring her robes to a deep blue color before turning back to him expectantly.

"I've already spoken to Dobby and he has prepared a set of rooms for you near the Ravenclaw tower. I'll send him later to show you to them but first we need to appear for breakfast."

She nodded and squared her shoulders and followed him. Their trip to the Great Hall was silent and he was quietly glad they didn't see any students roaming the halls.

Before they entered he turned to her one last time. "Feign indifference. They will try and test you to see if you are dangerous and not to be trifled with or if you are weak and easily used."

She nodded. He opened the door and moved aside to allow her to enter before him. He knew this first appearance was crucial. He needed to make sure that those loyal to the Dark Lord knew that she was under his protection and a "supporter" of the cause.

He was glad to see that Dobby had added another place at the head table next to his. As they walked up to the table he noticed many of the students and staff give them curious looks. The Carrows were showing particular interest in her and as she climbed the stairs to the head table he carefully placed a hand on the small of her back. He knew the gesture would not go unnoticed by many in the Great Hall.

He could feel her stiffen but ever the Gryffindor she soldiered on as he guided her to her seat. When she was seated he cast a sonorus charm on himself and called the room to order.

"I would like to introduce a new addition to our staff. Ms. MacDougal will be joining us as my personal secretary. I hope you will all show her the proper respect." He said warningly.

As he took his seat he could practically hear the students quietly discussing the new arrival. He covertly looked at his colleagues as he ate and found Minerva shaking her head angrily. He sighed. He wished Albus had had the presence of mind to at least include Minerva in the plan but as he had sworn Severus to secrecy he would have to deal with his long time friend's disdain.

"Ms. MacDougal, is it?" Amycus Carrow asked snidely from her left.

Severus forced himself to keep eating, if he showed the slightest bit of nervousness they would pounce on it.

"Yes, and who are you?" She asked proudly.

She had definitely taken his advice. The look on her face reminded him of Narcissa which was strange because of who she actually was.

Amycus smirked and puffed up like a blown up pidgeon. "Amycus Carrow and this is my sister, Alecto."

She nodded, a bored look on her face as she continued to eat her breakfast. Good girl he thought.

"Any relation to the MacDougals?" Amycus asked. Severus could hear the slight anger in the man's voice and he took pleasure in the fact that the idiot was acting just like he thought he would.

Her brow rose and nodded. "Of course."

The Carrows shared a look and Alecto joined the conversation. "What is a MacDougal doing with a half-blood?" The bitch had the audacity to look at him and smirk as a slight blush appeared on Granger's face.

"My...how manners have changed among the great families." Granger responded with a smirk as Alecto glared angrily.

Deciding that it was best to interfere before things got out of hand Severus quietly called Dobby. When the elf appeared he turned to Granger.

"Ms. MacDougal, if you are ready Dobby will show you to your rooms."

She nodded and left with the elf. When she was gone Amycus turned to him. "Nice piece you got there Snape."

Severus could hear a hint of lust in the man's voice but he forced himself to reply. "Hands off, Carrow."

The man smirked and Severus silently kicked himself. He had just as good as challenged the man. Severus internally damned Granger for adding another complication to his life. Was it not enough that he already had to protect an entire school full of children and three idiotic Gryffindors who were on the run?

"Where did you meet her?" Alecto asked.

Severus smirked and responded vaguely. "Abroad."

"I wonder what she will be "helping" you with?" Amycus asked speculatively.

Severus remained silent, allowing him to draw his own conclusions. Finding the conversation disturbing he chose to leave.

With a parting nod he left his place at the head table. As he passed by the other teachers he could almost taste their disgust of him. They usually ignored his presence only speaking to him when absolutely necessary. He avoided their eyes and focused on leaving the room. He could not wait until the war ended and peaceful oblivion accepted him into its arms.

/

Hermione smiled at the elf who excitedly led her to her new rooms but she could still feel the embarrassment from earlier. She mentally kicked herself for not understanding why Snape had not seemed too worried that people would question her presence.

She could still feel the blush that had spread throughout her face when the Carrows had insinuated the relationship. Now, she was a little irritated that Snape had not warned her. Not to mention the looks on the faces of her old professors and friends sitting in the Great Hall.

Dobby pulled her from her thoughts when he stopped in front of a marbled door. "Miss must place her wand on the door."

Hermione did so and found that the door easily opened for her. Dobby grinned. "It will only open to your wand, miss." Dobby then led her inside.

She fell in love with the rooms as soon as she walked inside. A large fireplace dominated the room, a comfortable brown leather couch stood before it. Dobby led her to a small staircase that she guessed led to her room. When he opened it she found a large dark four poster bed in the center of the room. Behind the bed stood large bay windows. A dresser stood proudly along the wall opposite the bed.

Dobby pointed to a closed door next to her bed. "That is miss's lavatory."

Hermione smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Dobby. Everything is great."

The elf grinned happily and then lowered his voice conspiratorially. "The headmaster told Dobby about miss. Dobby is keeping miss's secret. Dobby is protecting Harry Potter's friend."

She smiled thankfully and watched as Dobby disappeared. Hermione moved onto her bed and carefully laid down. After a few minutes she felt herself fall into an uneasy sleep.

A few hours later she was awoken by a loud knock on her door. She sleepily stood and walked to the door.

She was surprised to find Amycus Carrow standing at her door, a smirk on his face.

"I see you were resting." He said confidently.

She placed a bored look on her face and responded. "I was."

He smirked and looked behind her into her rooms. "Are you going to invite me in?"

She considered the situation. If she refused he might think she was scared of him and like Snape had warned her, they would pounce on it. So she reluctantly stepped back and allowed him to enter. She discreetly checked that her wand was still in it's holster.

He looked around carefully. "I see Snape gave you the best rooms."

Hermione shrugged. "They are acceptable."

He smirked and took a seat on the couch and motioned for her to join him. "How is it that a woman of your standing and heritage could be involved with someone like _Snape._" He said Snape's name as if it was distasteful.

Hermione contemplated her response. This was a crucial moment. If she denied the relationship it would seem strange and it was obvious that Snape prefered them to believe that they were involved rather than give the Carrows any reason to suspect something. In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought.

She took a seat on the couch, making sure there was enough space between them. She arched an eyebrow and smirked. "He's a very intelligent man unlike most men of my acquaintance."

She smirked in satisfaction as a dark look appeared on his face. He momentarily glared at her before his smirk returned.

"I see. Snape has a tendency to attract the admiration of many pureblood witches. Whether he deserves it is less likely. Alecto, for example, rather fancies him." He said snidely.

"Oh, really? I guess she must not like me then." She said smirkingly.

He laughed. "That's an understatement. You aren't worried then?"

Hermione laughed. "Not really, I can take care of myself."

He smirked and touched her long braid. "I bet you can, but don't underestimate my sister. She is a Carrow after all. What we want….we get." He punctuated his response by slightly moving his hand from her hair to her arm and in the process brushing against her breast.

She glared at him and removed his hand from her body. "Lack of manners also seems to be a Carrow family trait."

He laughed darkly. "I see you're a spitfire, someone's got to break that habit. Then again if Snape's not man enough for the task I can always offer my services. I do like making myself useful." He gently caressed her cheek until he gripped her chin tightly. She pulled herself from his grasp but he moved closer.

He was a loathsome man. She wanted to spell the smirk off his face. Before she could respond her door opened.

Snape entered in a mass of billowing black robes. Spotting them, he crossed his arms and glared at the man next to her.

"I see you're making yourself a nuisance again, Carrow." He said angrily.

Carrow smirked. "I was just making Ms. MacDougal feel welcomed. You did leave her very neglected. Such a beautiful woman must not be left alone, Snape. She might go looking for something better."

Snape shrugged. "She can make her own decisions but why would she want the bottom of the barrel when she already has the best. Now, if you will excuse us, I would like to speak to Ms. MacDougal about official Hogwarts business."

Carrow glared at him but stood up and bowed to Hermione before storming from her room. When he was gone there a silence permeated the room.

Hermione shifted nervously. Is this what her life had become? It was only a few days ago that her biggest worry had been what her dreams meant and now here she was playing the mistress to Severus Snape. It was bizarre.

"You would think that age would allow you think before you act but apparently you persist in acting stupidly." Snape remarked angrily.

Hermione stood and faced the man angrily. "What did you want me to do? You were the one who didn't warn me about what they would think!"

"Calm yourself, witch." He replied.

She rolled her eyes.

"What did Carrow want? He asked.

"I think he just wanted to test how far I would allow him to go. I set him straight though." She replied.

He nodded. "Phineas tells me Mr. Weasley's abandoned Potter and your younger self."

Hermione closed her eyes as she remembered the pain that fight had caused to their friendship.

"Idiotic child." Snape murmured.

Hermione glared. "He had his reasons. Not to mention the necklace in our possession was slowly poisoning his mind with ridiculous notions."

Snape scoffed. "And I suppose he was too stupid to think about the situation rationally. Where did he go? We need to find him before he gets himself killed."

Hermione shrugged worriedly. "He never told us where exactly he had gone. We never really liked to talk about that moment."

He sighed angrily. "So not only do I have to protect you but you're not even useful."

Hermione indignantly stood up and was about to respond when Snape hissed in pain and grabbed his arm. She rushed to his side. "What's wrong?"

"The Dark Lord." He whispered between gritted teeth. "That bastard, Carrow must have run to tell him about you." He hissed before speaking. "Dobby!"

The elf appeared, his wide eyes on Snape. "Headmaster! How can Dobby help?"

"Take me to the apparition point outside Hogwarts grounds. Hurry!"

The elf gripped Snape's arm and then they were gone. Hermione was left with a growing worried feeling spreading throughout her body.

After a few minutes of pacing around her room she decided to take a walk. She had been meant to save him but was she making his life more difficult?

/

Severus hurried toward the large imposing manor in front of him. Lucius greeted him as he entered.

"He's waiting for you in the sitting room."

Severus noted Lucius's pale face and faint bruises. He nodded and headed in the direction of the sitting room. He must be in a good mood if he asked to see him in there.

As he entered, he slowed down and when he came to a stop before the evil wizard sitting on a chair he bowed his head submissively.

"Ah, Severus, my loyal follower." The madman hissed.

As Severus looked up he noticed they were not alone. The Carrows were standing to the left of the Dark Lord. He placed a neutral look on his face and focused on maintaining his mental wards.

"Yes, my lord?" He asked respectfully.

Voldemort's red eyes watched him intently. "Amycus and Alecto tell me you have a new guest at Hogwarts. I'm just wondering why I'm hearing about it from them and not the man I made headmaster?"

Severus could see the Carrows smirking but he focused on his answer.

"On my last mission I met Ms. Isobel MacDougal. As you know, my lord, she's a member of the MacDougal family. I thought only to befriend her and possibly persuade her to our cause."

"I see, and why is she at Hogwarts?" Voldemort asked.

"She mentioned she missed England and that she was not opposed to learning more about our cause and I decided to offer her a position as my secretary."

"She's his mistress, my lord!" Alecto said spitefully.

Voldemort's eyebrow rose and he turned back to Snape. "Severus?"

Severus cringed. He had underestimated how spiteful the Carrows were. He hesitatingly nodded. "She and I have an understanding."

Voldemort smirked. "I see and have you been able to persuade her to our cause?"

"I'm working on it, my lord. The MacDougals are a very important pureblood family abroad. I only thought that once you conquered England it would be good to have allies abroad to ease your way to conquering other lands. I apologize if I acted out of turn, my lord but I only wanted to serve you."

Voldemort watched him intently and Severus forced himself to refrain from shifting nervously. Suddenly he felt an overpowering force enter his mind. Severus quickly offered up memories of walking Ms. Granger to the Great Hall, placing his hand on the small of her back and the way she had fixed her hair in his office.

He felt relieved when Voldemort retreated from his mind.

"It seems you are telling the truth." Voldemort said dangerously.

"My lord, allow my brother the honor of winning the MacDougals to your cause." Alecto Carrow said passionately.

Voldemort turned to look at the witch. Suddenly she fell on the floor writhing in pain.

"Don't question my authority, Alecto! I know you've wanted Severus but the girl's formed an attachment to him and he _will_ bring her and her family to me." He removed the cruciatus and turned to Severus.

"You will bring her to me soon, Severus. I would like to meet her." He smirked. "You are excused."

Severus nodded and turned to leave when Voldemort's voice stopped him. "Before you go, I want to remind you of what happens to those who keep things from me."

Suddenly Severus felt his whole body burst in waves of pain. He knew he had fallen on the floor and that the screams reverberating around the room were his. When the curse was finally lifted Severus struggled to keep from blacking out.

"Take him with you, Amycus." Voldemort decreed.

He felt rough arms pull him upward and then the stretching feeling of apparition. Amycus quickly threw him on the ground. Alecto limped toward Severus and she grabbed his chin, turning his face toward her.

"You're mine, Snape, do you hear me?" She whispered harshly.

With that she turned and left with her brother.

With his last conscious thought he called for Dobby, then darkness enveloped him.

/

**Author's Note: **

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